In another dominant display, the Pittsburgh Pirates defeated the Washington Nationals on Monday.
The final score, 8-4, reflects how good Pittsburgh’s offense has been in the first few games of the new season.
They now have a flawless 5-0 record, tied for the best in baseball.
They lead the NL Central division ahead of the 3-0 Milwaukee Brewers, the 3-1 Cincinnati Reds, the 2-2 Chicago Cubs, and the 2-3 St. Louis Cardinals.
It’s been a while since Pittsburgh has been this good.
MLB insider Bob Nightengale helped us get some historically relevant context.
The Pirates we have come to know in the last few years haven’t been competitive, but they used to be pretty good in the 60s, 70s, and 80s.
“The Pirates are now 5-0, their best start since 1983. The last time they won at least 6 consecutive games to open a season? Would you believe 1962 when they were 10-0. Their first loss that season was to the expansion New York Mets, who lost 120 games,” he tweeted.
The Pirates are now 5-0, their best start since i1983.
The last time they won at least 6 consecutive games to open a season?
Would you believe 1962 when they were 10-0.
Their first loss that season was to the expansion New York Mets, who lost 120 games— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) April 2, 2024
The Mets, coincidentally, haven’t been able to win any games and are looking just as bad as that original team that was new to the league.
But back to the Pirates: they are red-hot.
Players like Oneil Cruz, Bryan Reynolds, Jared Triolo, Henry Davis, Ke’Bryan Hayes, Connor Joe, Marco Gonzales, Jared Jones and many others have been brilliant and have carried the team to an awesome start.
However, the Pirates’ 2023 season should serve as a cautionary tale.
They were equally good to open last year, even leading the NL Central for some time and finishing April with a 20-9 record.
They ended up with a losing record, though: 76-86.
The season is 162 games long for a reason.
It tests the true depth of a roster, not to mention the whole organizational depth and quality.
The Pirates appear to have what it takes to be more competitive this year, but only time will tell if they are truly going for it.
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